Abstract
Fluoride in drinking water above permissible levels is responsible for dental and skeletal fluorosis. In this study, removal of fluoride ions from water using phosphoric acid treated lime was investigated in continuous and point-of-use system operations. In the continuous column operations, fluoride removal performance was investigated as a function of the fluoride concentration, flow rate and amount of adsorbent mass. Early saturation and lower fluoride removal were observed at higher flow rate and initial concentration, and at lower mass. Two domestic defluoridation point-of-use systems operated intermittently to process 20 ..day.1 of water were used. High fluoride uptake capacity (FUC) from groundwater was observed depicting the suitability of the new media in defluoridation. However, further research is required to optimise the point-ofuse systems performances.
Highlights
Fluoride in drinking water can be either beneficial or detrimental to health, depending on its concentration
It is necessary to remove the excess amount of fluoride from drinking water if the concentration is higher than the permissible limit
Ion exchange methods are efficient for fluoride removal, but a tedious and difficult process of preparation of resins as well as the high cost necessitates a search for an alternative technique
Summary
Fluoride in drinking water can be either beneficial or detrimental to health, depending on its concentration. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the maximum acceptable concentration of fluoride is 1.5 mg∙l−1 (WHO, 2006), while South Africa’s acceptable limit is 0.75 mg∙l−1 (Regulations on Fluoridating Water Supplies, 2000). Concentrations above this level lead to dental and skeletal fluorosis and lesions of the endocrine glands, thyroid and liver (Meenakshi et al, 2004; Misra and Mishra, 2007). The popular technologies for the removal of fluoride from water include: coagulation followed by precipitation, membrane processes, ion exchange and adsorption (Bhatnagr et al, 2011; Huo et al, 2011; Meenakshi and Maheshwari, 2006; Ndiaye et al, 2005; Mohapatra et al, 2009). This study was motivated by the need to explore locally-available and inexpensive defluoridation media for safe and easy use at both household and small community levels
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